Partitioned container



Aug. 12, 1952 J. M. REAVES 2,606,710

PARTITIONED CONTAINER Filed June 21, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 V IN ENTOR. Jaws A7. 501 55 Patented Aug. 12, 1952 PARTITIONED CONTAINER Jules M. Reaves, Memphis, Tenn, assignor of fifty per cent to Heiskell Weatherford, J r., Memphis,

Tenn.

Application June 21, 1948, Serial No. 34,229

4 Claims.

a mold and which may be readily formed in a new and novel manner from a single blank.

The invention further relates to container blanks which maybe readily and economically manufactured without waste of material.

The present invention has largely resulted from a need found in the packaging of substances such as o-leomargarine and butter and is primarily adapted for utilization in connection with such products. It, however, as will readily be seen from the following specification, is not limited to such uses, but may be readily adapted for many other uses.

The principalobjectof the invention is to pro-- vide a blank from which a container may be read.- ily formed in a new and novel manner by the folding and fastening of the parts thereof. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a container which includes novel means adapted to receive and retain partitions or dividers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container blank which may readily be formed from a sheet of flexible material without Waste of material from such sheet. 7

And a further object of the invention is to generally improve the design, utility and eificiency of containers.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished and the manner'of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan .view ofa preferred embodiment of the container blank of the present invention, showing in relation thereto a portion of an adjoining blank which has been formed from the sheet material. r

Fig. 2 is a perspective. view of a container formed from the blank illustrated'in Fig.1, showing the partitions thereof in position.

Fig. 3 is. a top plan view of the formed container of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view on an enlarged scale, taken on thline' IV +IV of Fig. 2, with the partitions removed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a variation in the embodiment of the container blank.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 2, of a container formed from the blank of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top planvieW 0f the container shown in Fig. 6 and r Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional plan view on an enlarged scale, similar to Fig. 4, taken on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 6..

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

The blanks for the containers of the present invention are formed from a sheet, preferably of flexible material, as for example, waxed cardboard or the like. The blanks include a base portion I l,side walls I3 and I5, and end walls II, I9. The body portion is shown as square, although it may be rectangular if desired. The side walls I 3 and I5 are respectively integrally attached and hinged along one edge to opposite edges of the base I I along fold lines 2 I, 23 and the end walls are similarly attached and hinged along one edge to the remaining oppositeedges of base II along fold lines 25, 21. i

It will be seen that the side walls I3, I5 include integral longitudinally disposed extensions 29,.3I, the extension 29 being hinged to one end of the side wall I3 along the fold line 33 and extending therebyond. It will be noted that fold line 33.,

comprises a continuation of fold line 25, and that the attachment of extension 29 to sidewall I3 is adjacent end wall IT. The extension 3I is similarly hinged to the end ofwall I5 adjacent end wall I9 along fold line 35, which similarly comprises an extension of fold line 21 and extension 3| extends therebe'yond in a direction opposite to that of extension 28. The end Wall II preferably is slotted throughout its depth by spaced slots 31, being thereby divided into tabs HA, and similarly the wall I9 is preferably divided by slots 39 into tabs IQA. At their remote ends extensions 25. 3I

' are respectively provided with integral terminal portions all, 33, which are respectively hinged to the extensions along fold lines 45, 41. In the preferred form of blank, as illustrated in Fig. 1, extensions-29,- 31 are respectively of a length equal to the length of end walls IT, IS.

In the variation of the container blank as shown in Fig. 5, there is included a base I I I, similar to the base I I, to opposite edges of which side the opposite end of side wall II3 is an integral extension I39 which is hingedly attached to the said opposite end, as along the fold line I34. It will be seen that the fold line I33 comprises a continuation of the fold line I25 and that the fold line I34 comprises a similar extension of the opposite fold line I21.

It will be noted that the extension I33 is preferably of a greater length than the length of extension I29 and exceeds in its length the width of a plurality of tabs I|9A formed. in end wall N9, the present illustration being shown as of a length substantially equal to two and one-half times the width of one of the tabs 9A.

Side wall is similarly provided with extensions I3I, I32, extension |3I being hingedly attached to one end of side wall |I5 along the fold line I35 which comprises an extension of fold line I21 and the extension I32 being hingedly attached to the opposite end of side wall II5 along fold line I36 which comprises a continuation of fold line I25 extending therefrom oppositely to fold line I29.

It will be noted that while the foregoing description has referred to the container blanks as being made of flexible material of the nature of cardboard or the like, the container blanks may as readily be formed of sheet metal or other suitable material if desired.

In the formation of containers from the blanks of this invention, the sidewalls I3, I5 and end walls I1, I9 are folded upwardly along their respective fold lines 2|, 23, 25, 21 to vertical position relative to the base I I. When the walls are thus positioned the slots 31, 39 of the end walls will be seen .to be vertically disposed, and the extensions 29, 3| and their respective terminals 4|, 43 will be seen to be vertically disposed and respectively projecting longitudinally beyond the adjacent end walls. The extensions 29, 3| are then folded inwardly along their respective fold lines 33; 35 until they are brought into contact with and lie along the outer surface of the respective end walls I1, IS. The exten sions 29, 3| may beattached to the respective end walls by suitable adhesive or other attaching means, not shown;

When thus positioned the terminal portion 4| will be seen to project beyond the side wall I5 which is opposite to the side wall I3 to which the terminal portion 4| is connected by extension 29. Similarly, the terminal portion 43 is projected beyond the side wall I3 opposite to the side wall I5 to which the terminal portion 43- isconnected by the extension 3|. The respective terminal portions 4|, 43 are then folded inwardly along their respective fold lines 45, 41 so that they are brought into contact with and lie along a portion of the outer surface of the respectively opposite side walls, in which position they may be attached by the use of adhesive or other suitable means.

It will thus be seen that a box-like container is, formed, which, in its preferred form, is maintained in its folded container position through the fastening means comprising the respective extensions and terminal portions. It will also be seen that as therespective extensions 29, 3| lie along and in intimate contact with the outer surface of the end walls I1 and I9, the vertically disposed slots 31, 39 are thereby converted into vertically disposed sockets which are adapted to receive and retain the opposite end portions of vertically disposed partitions 49.

It will be noted that the extensions of the side walls substantially completely cover the outer surface of the end walls and provide a backing therefor, converting the end walls into walls of double thickness, providing additional strength and rigidity therefor and greatly improving the quality of the containers thus formed.

In similar manner the container is formed from the blank as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 by the upward folding of the walls 3, II5, I I1, II9 to position them in vertical position relative to the base III and the respective extensions I29, I30, I3I, I32 are inwardly folded along their fold lines until they are brought into contact with and lie along the outer surface of the respective end walls H1, H9. The side wall extension portions are similarly attached to the outer surfaces of the end walls by suitable adhesive or other attaching means, and it will be seen that the vertically disposed slots I31, I39 are outwardly covered and thereby converted into sockets adapted to receive partitions I49 which are substantially identical with the partitions 49 hereinabove mentioned.

It will be seen that in manner similar to the manner already described for the containers formed from the blank illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the outer surfaces of the end walls of the containers formed from the blank of Fig. 5, as shown in Fig. 6 and 7, are substantially completely covered by the side wall extensions and are retained in position and braced thereby in manner similar to that already described.

In both Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, the conservation of material in the formation of the container blanks of this invention is readily apparent. As illustrated in each of those figures, the partitions 49 and I49 are severed from the sheet material in the same operation in which the individual blanks are severed and the arrangement of the parts is such that all of the material of the sheet is utilized in the formation of the blanks and of the partitions.

It is found that it is particularly useful to provide, as in the present invention, for the ready insertion and removal of the partitions, enabling the greater flexibility of space arrangement within the container. The container is, in addition, particularly well adapted for use as a mold for substances such as butter or oleomargarine which may be packed in bulk in the container without division or partition. When the bulk is removed for processing the partitions may be introduced into the respective sockets, effectively dividing the interior of the container, as illustrated, and the product, such as the butter or olemargarine, may then be reintroduced after processing into the container, the partitions serving to divide, and upon hardening, to mold the'substance into parcels or sticks of desirable sizeor shape.

When material such as metal is employed in the container structure it is found extremely useful in the sorting and handling of small objects, such as nails, screws, and in many instances fishing tackle, such as plugs, hooks and the like.

It will be understood that the foregoing description has described two of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but, except insofar as hereinafter limited in the appended claims, modification in the precise form or arrangement of the parts may be had without departing from the scope hereof.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a horizontal quadrilateral base, a pair of opposite side walls respectively attached to opposite edges of said base, and a pair of end walls respectively attached to the remaining edges of said base, said walls being folded upwardly from said base and vertically disposed in edge relation thereto, said endwalls each including a plurality of vertical slots, each slot extending through its end wall from top to bottom thereof, an extension attached at one end to an end of one of said side walls extending therefrom and. lying along the outer surface of one of said end walls in covering contact with said outer surface, a second extension attached at one end to the other said side wall extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of the other said end wall in covering contact with the latter said outer surface, said covering contacts effecting outward closure of said slots, said slots, remaining open at their tops and inwardly of said container, and a plurality of partitions, positioned with opposite end portions retained in said outwardly closed slots, said end portions being vertically slidable in said closed slots.

2. A container comprising a square base, a pair of opposite side walls respectively attached to opposite edges of said base, and a pair of end walls respectively attached to the remaining edges of said base, said walls being folded upwardly from said base and vertically disposed in edge relation thereto, said end walls each including a plurality of vertical slots, each slot extending through its end wall from top to bottom thereof, an extension of length greater than the width of an end wall attached at one end to an end of one of said side Walls extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of one of said end walls in covering contact with said outer surface, a second extension of length similar to that of the first said extension attached at one end to the other said side wall extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of the other said end wall in covering contact with the latter said outer surface, said covering contacts effecting closure of said slots, said extensions each having a terminal portion attached to its other end, the terminal portion of the first said extension lying along and in contact with a portion of the outer surface of the said other side wall, and the terminal portion of the second extension lying along and in contact with the outer surface of the first said side wall, said terminal portions being respectively fastened to the opposite side wall contacted.

3. A container comprising a quadrilateral base, a pair of opposite side walls respectively attached to opposite edges of said base, and a pair of end walls respectively attached to the remaining edges of said base, said walls being folded upwardly from said base and vertically disposed in edge relation thereto, an extension integrally attached at one end to an end of one of said side walls extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of one of said end walls in covering contact with said outer surface, a second extension integrally attached at one end to-the other said side wall extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of the other said end wall in covering contact with the latter said outer surface, said extensions eachhaving a terminal portion attached to its other end, the terminal portion of the first said extension lying along and in contact with a portion of the outer surface of the said other side wall, and the terminal portion of the second extension lying along and in contact with the outer surface of the first said side wall, said terminal portions being respectively fastened to the side walls contacted.

4. A container comprising a square base, a pair of opposite side walls respectively attached to opposite edges of said base, and a pair of end walls respectively attached to the remaining edges of said base, said walls being folded upwardly from said base and vertically disposed in edge relation thereto, said end walls each including a plurality of vertical slots, each slot extending through its end wall from top to bottom thereof, an extension attached at one end to an end of one of said side walls extending therefrom and lying along the outer surface of one of said end walls in covering contact with said outer surface, a second extension attached at one end to the other said side wall extending there from and lying along the outer surface of the other said end wall in covering contact with the latter said outer surface, said covering contacts effecting closure of said slots, said extensions each having a terminal portion attached to its other end, the terminal portion of the first said extension lying along and in contact with a por tion of the outer surface of the said other side wall, and the terminal portion of the second extension lying along and in contactwith the outer surface of the first said side wall, said terminal portions being respectively fastened to the side wall contacted, and partition means having opposite end portions slidably engaging,

said closed slots.

JULES M. REAVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 8,599 Reese Feb. 25, 1879 970,220 Handschy Sept. 13, 1910 1,740,550 Michelin Dec. 24, 1929 2,159,451 Richards May 23, 1939 

